Hard Rock
In Photos: Rise Against and Descendents Bring the Punk to New York City
On Friday night (July 30th), Rise Against and Descendents played one of the first big rock shows back in New York City since the pandemic started. The veteran punk acts rocked a sold-out concert at The Rooftop at Pier 17 on a beautiful night in the Big Apple. The show marked the second proper concert for Rise Against and first for Descendents since the concert industry came to a halt in early 2020. Thankfully, a clear night with low humidity greeted the bands and the fans, as the Empire State Building could be seen to the left of the stage, while the Brooklyn Bridge was visible to the right. Rising Los Angeles punk act Spanish Love Songs opened the evening’s festivities with a set of anthemic songs, including cuts from their most recent album, 2020’s Brave Faces Everyone. For many in ...
The Offspring Oust Drummer Pete Parada for Choosing Not to Get COVID Vaccine
The Offspring have apparently parted ways with drummer Pete Parada. According to the stickman, it’s because he has chosen not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 due to medical reasons. Parada, who had been the band’s drummer since 2007, explained his departure in a lengthy statement on Instagram, saying that his medical history and advice from his doctor has led him to choose not to get vaccinated at this time. He added that, as a result, the rest of the band feels he’s “unsafe to be around, in the studio, and on tour.” Back in April, The Offspring released their latest album, Let the Bad Times Roll, which marked their first studio LP in nine years. It’s also the first Offspring album where Parada played drums on the entire effort, having previously appeared on just four of the tracks on 2...
Limp Bizkit Debut New Song “Dad Vibes” at Lollapalooza as Fred Durst Rocks Look to Match: Watch
Limp Bizkit rocked the classics and a new look for singer Fred Durst during their set at Lollapalooza over the weekend. They also treated fans to a recording of a new song, appropriately titled “Dad Vibes.” Durst, sporting a gray “dad” wig and a handlebar mustache, came across as what we’d imagine James Hetfield would look like had he never been in Metallica (and was just a regular 50-something dude). How do we know it’s a wig, you ask? Durst has been balding since the early days of Bizkit, so unless he got a quick hair transplant, it’s very likely it’s a gray toupee. In fact, at Wisconsin’s Rock Fest, just two weeks prior to Lollapalooza, the singer rocked his usual red-capped look with a full beard. The Bizkit frontman first teased the new look via a couple posts on Instagram, and then c...
OTTTO (Tye Trujillo) Share New Song “Ride Low”: Stream
OTTTO, a trio featuring Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo’s teenaged son Tye Trujillo, has shared the video for their new single “Ride Low.” There’s a tangible Metallica flavor to the heavy track. If you listen closely, you can even pick out some Hetfield-isms from singer-guitarist Bryan Noah Ferretti. Accompanying the single is a fierce performance music video lensed by Paul Marchand, who directed the Robert Trujillo-produced 2014 documentary Jaco. Amid the dark subtextual plot, you can see Tye and company enthusiastically thrashing out. Advertisement Related Video “Somewhere in Los Angeles it’s still the same as it always was — whirling helicopters, barking dogs, and the din of general insanity drift through busted single-pane windows on the hot summer breeze,” the band said of the video...
Authorized Led Zeppelin Documentary Is Completed, Gets Official Title
The previously announced, officially authorized Led Zeppelin documentary has been completed. The film has also received a title: Becoming Led Zeppelin. According to Variety, the Bernard MacMahon-directed documentary will provide “unprecedented access” to the band. The film was first announced in 2019 and is the first official traditional documentary about the legendary rock act. “Becoming Led Zeppelin is a film that no one thought could be made,” MacMahon said. “The band’s meteoric rise to stardom was swift and virtually undocumented. Through an intense search across the globe and years of restoration of the visual and audio archive found, this story is finally able to be told.” Advertisement Related Video Zeppelin were previously chronicled in their 1976 concert film The Song Remains the ...
A Day to Remember Announce 2021 US Tour with Asking Alexandria and Point North
A Day to Remember will officially return to the road this fall with “The Re-Entry Tour,” a six-week jaunt giving fans the chance to see the Florida rockers live for the first time in two years. The trek is set to kick off in Rochester, New York, at Main Street Armory on September 28th, and hit major markets across the U.S. before wrapping up with two shows in their home state: November 5th in Hollywood, Florida, and November 6th in St. Augustine, Florida. Asking Alexandria and Point North will support the run. “The Re-Entry Tour” also marks the band’s first tour since releasing their new album, You’re Welcome, earlier this year. Tickets for the upcoming shows are available via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales beginning as early as Tuesday (August 3rd) at 10 a.m. local venue time. Advertisement...
Des Rocs Announces Debut Album, Unleashes Anthemic New Single “MMC”: Stream
Rising alt-rocker Des Rocs has announced his debut album, A Real Good Person in a Real Bad Place, which will arrive September 24th via 300 Entertainment. In advance of the LP’s release, the New York-based artist has unleashed the infectious and eclectic single “MMC.” “MMC” takes the listener on a wide-ranging ride of musical genres, with a guitar-heavy intro leading into post-punk verses and a sing-along anthemic chorus. At the 3:10 mark, the tune suddenly shifts into a vaudevillian piano number, with Des Rocs momentarily taking on the role of a throwback crooner. Speaking about the song in a press release, Des Rocs said, “‘MMC’ is about people who are obsessed with being anything but themselves. It’s a roller coaster of a record that was written all at once in this kinda chaotic catharsis...
Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell Announces New Solo Album, Brighten, Unveils “Atone”: Stream
Alice in Chains singer-guitarist Jerry Cantrell has announced his first solo album in 19 years. The legendary rocker will release Brighten on October 29th, and he’s shared shared the first single, “Atone,” as a preview Cantrell premiered the heavy new track via Rolling Stone, describing the song as follows: “As a fan of Ennio Morricone scores and Sergio Leone movies, it’s got a bit of that outlaw vibe, with a cool psycho hillbilly stomp. It’s been kicking around in my head for like 20-plus years, haunting me. Sometimes it takes a while for a good idea to find its best form. Such was the case with ‘Atone.’” The new album features an impressive cast of backing musicians, including Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan), Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Gil Sharone (Team Sleep), Abe Laboriel J...
Rainbow in the Dark Admirably Chronicles Ronnie James Dio’s Iconic Career: Book Review
For years, Ronnie James Dio fans have been patiently waiting for an autobiography that he had begun work on prior to his passing in 2010 from stomach cancer. Now, we have finally received Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography. First off, readers should know that the idea behind the book was to recount the story of the legendary metal vocalist (real name: Ronald James Padavona) from birth up until his fulfillment of a lifelong career dream, when Dio headlined Madison Square Garden in 1986 (as the leader of his eponymous band). The book was not completed before Dio’s passing, but with the help of his wife/manager, Wendy Dio, and respected rock journalist Mick Wall, the missing bits have been filled in commendably. As a reader of many rock autobiographies over the years, I must admit that I ...
Marilyn Manson Seeks to Dismiss Esmé Bianco’s Lawsuit, Describes Assault Allegations by Multiple Women as “Coordinated Attack”
Marilyn Manson has filed legal papers seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him by Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco. In the same documents, the disgraced singer describes the recent sexual assault allegations by multiple women as a “coordinated attack.” Bianco is one of a number of women who have accused Manson of sexual abuse over the past several months. As previously reported, she sued the shock rocker in April for sexual assault, physical abuse, and human trafficking. She first shared her story in February, weeks after actress Evan Rachel Wood went public with her accusations against Manson. Bianco described Manson as “monster who almost destroyed me,” adding that she “basically felt like a prisoner” while living with the singer. She accused Manson of using “drugs, force...
Rock World Reacts to the Death of ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill: “What an Icon”
The rock community is mourning the passing of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill, who died in his sleep at age 72. Hill was an indispensable longtime member of the “Tres Hombres” and famously sported a lengthy beard like his bandmate Billy Gibbons. Musically, Hill had a gift for rhythm, holding down the band’s airtight bluesy rock tunes with drummer Frank Beard. ZZ Top had just kicked off a massive U.S. tour when Hill was sidelined with a “hip issue.” Longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis filled in on bass for a handful of dates, and today it was announced that Hill passed away in his sleep at his home in Houston. Following the sad news, fellow musicians and rock icons took to social media to pay tribute to Hill and his musical legacy. Advertisement Related Video John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater ...
R.I.P. Joey Jordison, Former Slipknot Drummer Dead at 46
Former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison has died at the age of 46. According to a statement issued by his family, Jordison “passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 26th, 2021.” A cause of death was not immediately disclosed. “Joey’s death has left us with empty hearts and feelings of indescribable sorrow,” his family’s statement reads. “To those that knew Joey, understood his quick wit, his gentle personality, giant heart and his love for all things family and music.” Advertisement Jordison was a founding member of Slipknot and played in the band until his departure in December 2013. He later revealed that he suffered from transverse myelitis, a neurological disease that limited his the ability to play the drums. The drummer suggested that his condition led Slipknot to fire him from the ...
